


In Shadows Where Blood Runs Clear

by Argent_the_Gay



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Ai is Distressed, Aine actually IS dead this time, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Ranmaru and Ai arent on the best of terms but stuff happens, Reiji is apprehensive of Ai, Ren is an asshole and hes only there for a short time, Vampires, actually finish something for once, and I will make it happen one way or another, and you know, but this time with vampires, but whats new, he'll be back though, i like torturing ai mikaze, i may post the second chapter if its not enough to get people interested, it only took five chapters, just a heads up I DO know how this entire fic will end already, just sorta a start, let's see what pain I can cause from here on out, me? actually trying to tag this properly? blasphemous, oh look another ai focused thing, quite a bit later but he'll be back, there are timeskips later on, there isn't anything major in the first chapter, theyre finally gay now, this is gonna be a short thing but i hope i can pull it off, were halfway through what I have planned
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-22
Updated: 2018-06-07
Packaged: 2019-05-10 06:40:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14731871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Argent_the_Gay/pseuds/Argent_the_Gay
Summary: Aine Kisaragi was a good man, for the most part. But after going missing - and most likely being dead - a time after he is sent into the city, Ai Mikaze requests to be sent to finish the job and investigate what happened. Apprehension, Love, and goddamn vampires.Will the troubles ever end once they begin? Or will we have to wait for our tears to fall in the wounds left behind?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I got inspired by Crystalized_Flowers's "Bloody Rose" fic with the Bloody Shadows thing. Plus I enjoy angsty Ai content, so here we are.

“If you want something done right you must do it yourself.” Ai muttered to himself as he made his way through the castle his clan resided in. “Two hundred years and he died for that human… What a joke.”

“Careful, Ai-chan, your words may cut you.” Ren warned teasingly, having crossed paths with the cyan-haired vampire.

Ai flashed his eyes at Ren, a shade of crimson to ward off less dominant vampires.

“So mean, and yet now you are to be in the human world for a few years.”

“Willingly,” Ai reminds. “Kisaragi-san had his chance on that mission, and now he is most likely dead. I take responsibility for my cousin’s actions by doing his job correctly.”

“And yet it was love he died for!” Ren called as the distance between them lengthened once more.

Ai huffed in irritation, “love is not something I can fathom. Nor should we be graced with such a feeling, should it melt our cold beings.”

 

* * *

 

“Quartet Night… it doesn’t sound like a bad idea.” Ai muttered to himself as he considered the words of the man before him, large and enthusiastic and dramatic.

It had been about a month and he had found his way into working with Shining Saotome, the director of the fittingly named Shining Agency. It was where his cousin’s mission left him, and yet the one person he hoped to avoid was sitting in a chair on the other side of the room.

Reiji Kotobuki, roughly age 23 from what he could tell, average build yet a bit overweight. Not a good target for feeding.

The man Aine died for.

A feeling of disgust welled in Ai for a moment, a feeling he buried. He would be professional about this. He would also not follow down a similar road of failure and get himself killed in the process.

Ai gathered that any information he has momentarily missed whilst among his thoughts was not important, and he made his way to leave. Unfortunately, he was stopped. Fortunately, it wasn’t by Reiji.

“Oi, where do you think you’re goin’?” The tall, silver-haired man asked, holding his arm in a rough hold. Ai could smell the faint leftover scent of the man’s hair dye, which made him want to sneer, but instead he narrowed his eyes and tugged his arm away.

“My business here is concluded, and thus I was going to return to my quarters.” He responded, though his wording held the formal flavor of someone far older than the 18 year-old he was pretending to be.

The man, whose name he vaguely remembered to be Ranmaru Kurosaki, muttered something about him being a pretentious kid before speaking up, “Shining wants us to work together later today, in case you missed that bit of information.” It was almost frightening the way he stood up, ready to jump into a fight if he had to. Almost. Ai knew he could overpower the man though. He was, after all, simply a human.

Ultimately, he _was_ right. Amid Ai’s thoughts he had missed the part of Shining Saotome off-handedly mentioning that they would start working together _immediately_ , which translated to them coming together to start bonding and forming a song to debut with.

Bonding, though, was difficult with such contrasting personalities put together and he wondered if Saotome was actually insane. _He shows symptoms, yet he does not ramble so incoherently if you listen carefully_ , he thought, watching as Ranmaru and a foreigner named Camus (pale enough that Ai had to double check that the only vampiric scent in the room was his own) stood head-to-head on what the theme should be.

Ai wasn’t exactly new to music. He was a well known lute-player in his human years, though the advancement of music in the centuries drew a curiosity he wasn’t expecting, and he inevitably traveled every few decades to discover the changes that occur in human cultures. By now, there were many different styles, which was another clash between Ranmaru and Camus in the moment.

Reiji, in an almost instinctual manner, did his best to try and mediate the two, yet instead it directed their irritation towards him. Ai simply sighed, standing and forcibly pushing the icy noble and hot-headed rocker away from each other by their chests. Neither were expecting him to be that strong, but he interrupted before that discussion could arise. “You are both acting immature. Get yourselves together or none of us benefit from being a part of this band-to-be.” He hissed, restraining himself severely from allowing his eyes to give him away. He made a mental note to buy a pair of contacts, as uncomfortable as they are.

Camus scoffed and crossed his arms, returning to his seat. Ranmaru, however, bared his teeth at Ai. “And what gives you say over us, huh?”

Ai could think of a few things, including how easily it would have been to rip out his heart in that exact moment, how many years wiser he was in comparison, and ultimately, his hidden rage.

Instead, Ai blinked, no emotion crossing his face as he replied. “Nothing. But I have my reasons for being here just as you do, and I do not want it ruined.” _This time_ , he added in his mind.

After glaring for a few moments more, Ranmaru growled and sat down, clearly wanting to cross his arms but not wanting to copy Camus, so his arms instead went to the back of his head.

Ai returned to his own seat, as did Reiji, and they finally calmed enough to properly put their heads together to agree on something.

 

* * *

 

“This is so cheesy."

Okay, so maybe it wasn’t the _best_ theme to debut with, but the fans enjoyed groups that expressed affection to their fans. Ai knew he’d have to pull something out of his ass to pull off the right amount of emotion to make anything he does as a performer successful, but this was going to be another level of difficult.

Ranmaru, in all of his obnoxious glory, let out a groan, “an hour and a half of brainstorming and _this_ is what we come up with.” ‘This’, of course, being the stack of random notes on makeshift music lines, fragments of lyrics, and empty glasses of tea and soda that had accumulated on the coffee table.

“It’s not a bad start, at the least.” Ai said in an attempt to more so convince himself than the others. “We just need instruments to properly make the music for it and we can go from there.”

And with that thought Ai realized a problem in his planning. He hadn’t chosen a main instrument to use. Any good idol had one instrument they were sort of “labeled” with. From what he understood, Ranmaru had his bass, Camus played the cello, and Reiji had maracas (though why _maracas_ of all things nearly short circuited his brain with trying to comprehend it).

He added another mental note to look into instruments to learn, figuring that should be a priority until he debuts as an idol fully.

Camus nodded, seeming satisfied with what they have, “I agree. Though my time here is cut short, since I have a job I must prepare for, I believe we should find time to properly map this out as soon as possible.”

“I agree.” Ai said quickly, gathering the papers and unconsciously ordering them by music, lyrics and mixes.

Reiji stretched out in his chair, “I, too, have a job I gotta get ready for, so I’m also heading out.” He said, and Ai vaguely noticed him look at the other two, but not at him. He squinted his eyes a bit, wondering just what exactly was going through his head in regards to Ai.

After all, Reiji was the one Aine had somehow died for… Though the details were hazy. Suddenly, Ai wanted to know if Reiji knew more than he did considering Aine’s disappearance.

And he wasn’t afraid to use any means possible.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ai does an “oops” and has to figure out how to Not Get Too Far Into Shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now for some of the more fun stuff! Let's see where it takes us~

Instrument, check. Idol persona, check. Debut concert, done. Fanbase, established.

Ai’s only unexpected check off his list was exactly how much he found himself enjoying the work he did. He also didn’t think that the members of Quartet Night would ultimately hold together as well as they had. Given each member’s personality, one would think that they would be unable to cooperate as efficiently as they did in the last few months. Granted, part of it was through a silent, mutual understanding that none of them knew who could or could not suplex them into the nearest dumpster.

(Even though Ai knew he was the strongest by default, he had to give kudos to Ranmaru to being an obvious second with his physique.)

Now, Quartet Night was formed officially, Ai had successfully debuted with a jumpstart thanks to the other three, and he was on his way to completing his mission.

Right… the mission.

So Ai thought being an idol would be an _easy_ job to do with little worry, allowing him time to investigate places and money to get there easily.

This, unfortunately for him, was another miscalculation.

Being in _Japan_ , for starters, should have told him the expectations were high, however living for as long as he has must have warped his personal abilities and he was thankful that sleep was not something his body most required. Now though, he required a schedule, a solid plan. He needed to make time to complete his mission while not appearing suspicious to the world, which usually meant he could only attend to the mission on his days off, which proved few and far between.

Photoshoots, interviews, acting projects, game shows, concerts - without Ai noticing, days had grown into weeks and into months and eventually a full year had passed. A year had passed and another misstep, though not one he exactly forgot, nearly killed him.

He forgot to feed.

Vampires had previously done their best to keep up with human technology and form ways of their own to _create_ the blood that they needed to survive, simply by recreating the nutrients and compounds in human and animal blood they made various “seasonings” for normal meals that vampires were able to eat that would also sustain them for stretches of time that grew longer as it advanced.

The unfortunate case of Ai Mikaze, however, was that he had run out of his own supply of these “seasonings” which had lasted him thus far. So now he was left with two choices: request a “vacation” of some sort to travel back to his clan and retrieve more of his sustenance, or he went hunting.

Ai knew the answer to the first option without bothering to even try and confront Shining about it. Idol work was a nearly 24/7 job, he had learned, and getting days off was a grace. Ai was simply thankful that his last packet was found to be such before he needed a new sustenance, which gave him plenty of time to plan a hunt.

Which led him now, to where he was.

“Why are you going out so late? It’s not like you have a job, you should go to sleep.”

In front of Ai stood the whole 182 centimeters and 67 kilograms of irritatingly attractive Ranmaru Kurosaki. The whole four centimeter difference was enough to force Ai to raise his chin just a bit to see the bassist’s whole face.

Ai wanted to scoff and tell him to fuck off, but he also had felt as though he had mellowed out in his natural aggression over this seemingly short span of time, allowing him to give a simple answer, “I’m going out. It’s hard to sleep and I’ve attempted multiple times, so a walk through the town would be good for me.”

Ranmaru looked both unconvinced and satisfied by that answer, as though he knew something Ai didn’t, but he shrugged. “Whatever, if you want someone to walk with you I don’t have anything to do, so I’m free.” It was an innocent offer, yet Ai sensed something shift almost awkwardly in the taller man’s words. An unorthodox juxtaposition that he couldn’t place.

Ai almost wanted to say yes. Almost. But it would ruin the whole purpose of his going out. He considered multiple things. Ranmaru was trustworthy, but did Ai trust him enough to keep his status as a vampire under wraps? No, he didn’t. Not yet. Humans were complicated, after all. It would take more time for him to trust the same man that dyed his hair silver just because he wanted to.

“That’s alright, I’d rather be alone tonight.” Ai gave as a response. Ranmaru didn’t look disappointed, more so that he expected the rejection but thought asking was worth a shot regardless. And so, the two parted ways.

Through the streets of Tokyo, Ai would have thought cornering someone would be easy enough, but he had to take in so many different variables for the target. All vampires, even as time and technology passed them by, had to know the basics to hunting in the case that they needed it. Ai’s circumstances lead him to be both at an advantage and a disadvantage as well as a complication that made him ask himself a moral question.

Would he be able to kill someone.

While being in a largely populated city gave the advantage of having many people that could have committed a crime in a back alley, if a target was found and was drained of blood then the media would cause hysteria with talk of a vampire in the streets. Should Ai kill one person to get enough main nutrients to keep himself going at least until his next day off, then he would have to find a way to dispose of the body after finding a healthy person to feed from. But if he fed from multiple, random people after knocking them out, he ran the risk of being discovered due to the increased time it would take to be satisfied.

Ultimately, one death weighed heavier on the mind of a moral being than a small, healable injury to various others. He would just have to take advantage of the power he rarely used which was, thankfully enough, a form of people scanning.

 

* * *

 

Roughly two hours and six or seven knockouts later, Ai was fed. It was strange tasting the coppery tang of actual blood, but it also sent a rush through him, a desire that he fought his damnedest to control.

It was at least educational, the experience of hunting and feeding from a live person. Vampiric instincts still held strong after so many millenia, something vile and corrupting that Ai felt a seed of fear plant itself into his off-beating heart. There was no wonder that vampires fed directly from sources only in an emergency.

The true nature of a vampire was one of greed, hunger, and a lack of moral compass.

Ai did not wish to become such a monster.

“Ah, there you are.”

Ai startled from his thoughts. Having been alone and in mostly silence for so long he had almost forgotten that he was supposed to return to the Shining Mansion, to the life of the idol he used as a facade. To pretending to be human again.

Longing filled his chest at the thought, even as the last face he saw before leaving the mansion that night leaned down just enough to see him properly. “You don’t seem to be harmed, but you got a little something on your face,” Ranmaru comments, reaching up to brush his fingertips near Ai’s mouth.

The vampire flusters a bit, and his tired body causes his eyes to flash a dim red in warning, but return to their default cyan as though it never happened. Panic rises in Ai as he curses himself for forgetting his contacts, and he holds his breath as he returns Ranmaru’s gaze. Ranmaru appears only faintly startled, but seems to recover. If he actually believed he saw Ai’s eyes change, then the newer idol would have to be sure to watch him more closely, but if he didn’t…

“Do you want to head back?” The bassist offers after a few heartbeats.

Ai felt a mix of things. He didn’t want to go back, didn’t want to be forced to face Ranmaru so shortly after that situation. Yet he wanted to crawl into bed and rest on his day off, feeling tired from being so well fed. He was sure he would get lost as his mind wandered down an odd path. He felt… light.

It was so odd, but slowly he lost focus and could hear everything around him, the people on the street, the jolts in the wires of power boxes. And he could _feel_. He felt every thread of the loose shirt he wore under his spring jacket, feel the grip of Ranmaru’s hands on his arms and the warmth that came with them. He could smell the faded scent of the cologne the bassist had worn for the day, sweet but fitting, something he could associate with the rocker and feel peace. There was another scent on him, something familiar that he had always known was there, but now it rose to Ai’s senses in waves and tempted him to do what he had done to others not too long ago.

Ranmaru was talking to him, his tone worried and almost frightened. Ai thought he heard Ranmaru mention alcohol, which never appealed to Ai in the first place, instead the vampire found himself slumping into the leather-clad embrace, blissful in a way that he had not known he could feel.

There was a memory, so long ago that it seemed to have never happened, where his body had felt something like this. Hyper aware of the world and longing for another taste, just to feel the high. His body was reacting as though it had been in withdrawal, because it had been, and now that he had brought that inner part of him back he was fading from what seemed like ecstasy.

The worst part? He couldn’t stop it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I decided to post this chapter the same day anyway. I'll probably wait until the Shining Live event is over before I post the next chapter, and hopefully I'll have another chapter in waiting *eyes emoji*


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here lies Ranmaru, died from finding his bandmate drunk(?) in an alleyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me? Actually posting something when I say I'm gonna post it? Blasphemous!
> 
> Anywho, the next chapter is almost done and I have a rough idea of where I'm gonna go with the chapter after that but the rest is kinda up in the air. Idk when I'll post the fourth chapter but here's this mess.
> 
> I wonder how many hints you can name and predict the character's fates...

One thing Ranmaru didn't realized he would be doing tonight was hoisting his bandmate into a taxi after he practically passed out on top of him. He knew Ai had been hiding something for a while, but even after finding him huddled against a wall in a back alley, the bassist didn't feel like he got his answer as to what the youngest member of Quartet Night was hiding.

With a sigh, Ranmaru held onto the shorter man to keep him steady as they got in the car, silently thankful that Ai was smart enough to have put on one of the disguise wigs Shining supplied them with so that he couldn't be easily recognized in public. Personally, the rocker didn't like wigs, so he generally took the same stuff he used to spike his hair to part it and keep it flat, enough that people didn't know it was him after he took out the pinkish-purple contact.

Still, Ranmaru partially wished he hadn't been the one to find the cyan-haired idol.

“You smell nice.” Ai purred softly, his voice reaching a pitch just a few octaves lower than what he normally used, but it was enough to make Ranmaru both tense up and melt.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” The bassist asked angrily, doing his best to not get too flustered. Admittedly, you couldn't blame him too much when Ai’s face was buried in his neck, the hair of his wig tickling Ranmaru’s jaw.

Ai chuckled softly, drunkenly almost. “I bet you taste as good as you smell,” it was a tease, he could hear it. Ranmaru couldn't hold back the flush that rose to his cheeks, but damn if he didn't manage a glare to the younger idol.

“Stop being so creepy already, it's not funny.” Even though Ranmaru said this he felt a strange compulsion tug him closer to Ai.  _ No, this can't be right. This isn't like Ai at all. What the hell happened to him? _

Said man offered a loopy, mischievous grin, “I'm not being  _ creepy _ ,” he said in a way that was supposed to be a whine, “I'm just  _ fascinated _ .” A giggle escaped him. “Fascinated, interested, enamored, it doesn't matter. But maybe Ranmaru will indulge me?~”

This was where Ranmaru felt a cold sweat replace the warm temptation in his mind. He recognized this behavior only a few times before, but he had taken them out before it could get any further those times. Taking out Ai, in case it was true, would be significantly harder, simply because he  _ knew _ who Ai was, but he didn't know for sure yet.

If his bandmate had truly succumb to being turned into a vampire, then it had happened recently. The loss of self caused by the temptation of blood would have shown sooner if he had been one from the beginning. He would have to watch him, measure his behavior, and act accordingly.

Ranmaru huffed a number of rejections to him, steeling himself for the days to come.

 

* * *

 

Ai woke up with the vampire equivalent of a hangover with a side of sensory overload.

Yes, vampires generally had more acute senses than humans, but it had never been this  _ intense _ . He could hear the beating of his heart, offset from a human’s by only a couple if milliseconds, could hear his breathing, the sound of running water from somewhere nearby but couldn't tell the direction.

Hearing wasn't the only thing set to max, though. He could see details in the wood of a nearby table, the scratches in the glass that accented it. He could smell something calmly familiar in the air, a scent that filled the subtle apartment he found himself in. Why did it make him feel so at ease? So relaxed? He didn't like it.

The cyan-haired idol, who realized he was void of his wig, felt his ear twitch as one of the sounds went mute. There was a mutter in the air, a muffled voice he couldn't make out. Then, one of the doors opened and Ai turned to see Ranmaru, hair flat and damp, a few water droplets hanging from the tips. “Alright, time to wake up, asshole.” The bassist called, running a hand through his hair as though this task were troubling.

His usually loud voice came as a drum in Ai’s head, and he instinctually covered his ears. “Could you not be so damn loud first thing in the morning?” The shorter idol snapped, wishing to bare his fangs at the man who leaned over the couch he had been laying on.

Ranmaru met him with a smirk, “seems Casanova is regretting his decisions from last night. There's some water and medicine on the table if you want it, it might help.”

Ai had no idea what Ranmaru was talking about. Sure, he remembered basically blacking out from the human blood entering his body, but he couldn't remember anything else. Though with Ranmaru being closer, that scent he felt so relaxed with became stronger.  _ But why him? He isn't special…  _

Lightly shaking his head, which turned out to be a bad idea, Ai stood from the couch and grabbed the water. Vampire’s  _ were _ once human, the “demon disease” that made them as they were simply changed parts of their beings. Overall, they were essentially just another human with a severe illness. This one just happened to edit their diet, lengthen their lifespan, and make them, for all intents and purposes,  _ better _ than humans. But all of that wasn’t what Ai was silently thankful for as he took a drink of water, feeling his mind ease but immediately race faster again.

The cyan-haired vampire could taste every trace of mineral in the glass of water, and it unsettled him. He couldn’t put a name on a lot of them, but the small amount of nutrients they offered was a blessing.

Letting out a sigh, Ai looked to Ranmaru again, who was still leaning on the couch. The bassist was staring holes into him, and the shorter idol could feel himself growing anxiously flustered from it. “Is there something you want from me?” He asked, analyzing the details of the rocker’s face.

Ranmaru’s expression didn’t change, “you look like that guy who went missing a while ago.”

_ Ah, this was bound to happen _ , Ai thought to himself, setting down the glass of water and leaning his back against the table. “Right… he was a relative.” Was all Ai offered.

Ranmaru didn’t quite seem convinced, “he was a lot different from you, from what I’ve been told. Louder, like Reiji.” The bassist moved closer to Ai, situating himself beside the vampire. “I also heard that he got involved in some gang issues. One of those gangs being a small group of lesser vampires.”

_ For a mission _ , Ai filled in mentally. “So that’s what might have happened…” He muttered, closing his eyes and bringing his hand up to his chin in thought.

There were various things that their clan had sent Aine to investigate. One such thing happened to be those who left the clan to cause trouble in the city.  _ It wasn’t why he went missing though _ .

No, Aine went missing in regards to a specific human. That same human was someone that Ai had access to, but was caught between interrogating him and leaving him alone to mourn. Now Ai had an idea of where to start his search, thanks to Ranmaru. Even just a rumor was enough to get started.

The snapping of fingers in front of his face startled the cyan-haired idol from his thoughts, looking to Ranmaru in a bit of surprise. The bassist returned his gaze with a mix of curiosity and empathy.

“Have you been trying to find him?” He asked, resting his hands on the table to lean against it similarly to the way Ai was doing.

Ai considered his words, “in a way. There are… various things about our family that we can't let out to the public, such as how he ended up in such a situation in the first place.” It was a small stretch, but he owed Ranmaru something as thanks. If it had not been for him then Ai’s inner vampire might have taken control of him. “Now that he is gone… I have two jobs. To find out what happened to Aine, and to complete the job he was forced to leave.”

Ai didn't look at Ranmaru. He didn't know why he didn't want to see the rocker’s face, but he found himself hyper aware of the scent that made him nearly melt. A soft pounding filled his ears and Ai couldn't distinguish if it was the increased beat of his own heart or the steady sound of the heart that belonged to the man next to him. That thought added to his growing fluster.

“So what, you're a part of some kinda yakuza family?” Ranmaru said finally, a bit half-hearted. When Ai thought about it, his clan and the yakuza weren't too far apart in terms of what they did. The vampiric clans are simply more indirect about their influence.

Ai offered a shrug instead, “not quite, but you could say that.” And he offered a small smirk to the silver-haired bassist. Humoring one of the people he could almost consider a friend by this point wasn't the worst thing he could have done, so there was no true harm in letting himself give in to the warm sensation that filled his chest while in his presence.

Ranmaru snorted in response, “while you look like you could kill someone, being part of a yakuza family is a stretch.” He returned the smirk and it was the first time Ai noticed that the silver-haired man beside him hadn’t put his contact in, and he could see the soft grey of both eyes for once. The shorter male had to admit that for all of his rough edges, Ranmaru’s unique charm helped to balance him out, to make him attractive inside and out… in his own way.

Ai felt he couldn’t truly appreciate who Ranmaru was due to being a vampire. A creature that was cold and ultimately ruthless. A monster by nature.

But that was not something he should begin brooding over. He had larger problems. The cyan-haired vampire hardened himself once more and broke his bandmate’s gaze. “I should be going.” He said, hunting down his wig and making himself look presentable for public before heading back to the condo he had called home for a year so far, longing for so many things making his chest clench painfully.

 

* * *

 

Ranmaru wandered through the streets of the city, his hood pulled up since he hadn’t bothered flattening his hair out after it dried, even if it wasn’t as spikey as he usually made it. There were so many things he had on his mind now.

It had been years since he abandoned the life of a vampire hunter, and he didn't want to get dragged back into it to eliminate the risk of more threats in the city. He had no more family to scorn him for leaving that life, but their ghosts still haunted him. After all, taking lives was worse than leaving them scarred, but it was what they wanted.

The bassist shook his head, cursing under his breath. He wouldn't do it.  _ Couldn't _ do it. If Ai truly was a vampire, and he was revealed to be a threat to the public, he would have to be taken out. But Ranmaru knew that he couldn't bring himself to harm that man.

He couldn't harm someone that had looked at him with such a hollow expression. So much lost to him despite having the attention, the  _ affection _ , of most of the country. It was as though inside he felt he was unworthy of such love.

“Dammit all,” the silver-haired idol muttered, clenching his teeth. He cursed the leap his heart made whenever he was close to his bandmate. Cursed the genuine joy on his face when they finish a concert. He was so human in expression that it hurt. But that was the thing about vampires, they could so easily fit in with society when they weren't crazed. They could live with humans on equal terms. And yet…

Ranmaru kicked a nearby can in frustration, listening to it clang against a number of items. He wanted to scream, let out everything that bothered him. Instead, he found himself at the doorstep of a familiar townhouse in the poorer area of town.

“And what brings the Silver Snake to this part of town? Couldn’t stay away from the adrenaline of a good hunt?”

“I’m here because of an asshole named Aine Kisaragi. You’re the only one’s I could safely try and get information on him from."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh isn't this exciting. I can't wait to see your reactions to how this will all end~


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Old friends(?) appear but Ai doesn't know what to do yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's midnight and I'm supposed to be doing a creative writing assignment ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

More time has passed and Ai has grown increasingly restless with his enhancements.

Over the months he has begun studying people more due to details he could not previously see or hear, and it even frightened himself. When he sings with the rest of Quartet Night he can hear the different ways they hold notes, can almost _feel_ the music when their voices become one. He could smell the distinctions between people; the crisp minty smell Camus wore (perhaps as a native of Permafrost), the mix of various scented oils Reiji was surrounded by as well as a faint sea breeze, and the scent of cherry blossoms from Ranmaru, though it was mostly covered by the miscellaneous cologne he wore (it changed daily, almost always leaving Ai guessing). From what he as aware, the cyan-haired vampire smelled like the forest his clan’s castle resided in, as well as something akin to lavender or another flower.

And yet when he hears the loud, consuming cheers of Quartet Night’s fans, he is overwhelmed. _Sensory overload_ , his brain supplied offhandedly the first time he performed with the effect of human blood still fresh in his system. Thankfully, it was a side effect he could grow accustomed to for the most part, and it wasn't too much of a hassle as long as he kept the urges to a minimum. (In actuality it was more difficult than he made it out to be.)

Of course, as time went on, Ai became aware of more things regarding his cousin’s disappearance. And he didn't like what it was turning out to be. It took a pretty penny and a good disguise (more effective than the simple wig he wore to go out in public for short amounts of time), but he managed to get pieces of the story, though it wasn't enough.

Ai knew that the mission regarded the vampires that had defected from his clan to harass the city. This didn't mean going around and aimlessly killing civilians, no, this meant causing mysteries, orchestrating happenstances. Aine had learned that much and decided to try and get caught by them to take them out, but that wasn't how he went missing since he escaped thanks to some vampire hunters (strangely enough). Unfortunately, the cyan-haired idol had yet to uncover anything more than that. He was curious of the hunters though, and why they decided to help his foolish cousin.

As Ai was contemplating his notes on one of his days off, a knock on his door rang through the room. The vibrations shook him from his thoughts, if the strength of the noise did not. The voice that followed after was Ranmaru’s, “Shining wants to tell us something, hurry up so we can go meet him.”

“I’ll be out in a second.” Ai replied, closing his laptop. He made sure to hide all of his notes carefully, since he couldn’t risk being caught, before leaving his room. Just before the door though, that same scent he felt so relaxed with hit him, forcing him to pause and rest against the doorframe. It wasn’t simply the human pheromones that Ai picked up, it was something else, and it made him almost weak at the knees with how much he genuinely _enjoyed_ how it felt.

The cyan-haired vampire didn’t know of anything that made his kind behave like this. There were no hunting tools he had been informed of, no gas in most colognes that caused this, so why…

Ranmaru knocked again, “you okay in there?” He sounded almost worried, and Ai wanted to say yes when he caught his reflection in the mirror, flushed and clutching his chest. He looked… aroused, almost. Something vague that he remembered prodded his mind, and yet the thought never reached him. The idol took a breath, doing his best to steady his heart. It took much effort, but he was able to return to normal.

Opening the door, Ai was met with the false-heterochromic gaze of his bandmate, his brows furrowed gently in concern, “you sure took your time, you doing alright?”

Ai nodded, holding his expression as still as possible, “I misplaced something.” He offered as a white lie. If he ever got the chance to talk to a friendly vampire, he would ask them about his reactions, unless he could figure it out himself.

 

* * *

 

The pair entered Shining Saotome’s office, noticing Reiji and Camus already in attendance, and take their seats silently.

Shining begins his speech, as he usually does, with an exaggerated entrance. Ai only listens to his drawn out words and tunes out the rest of the effects and sounds to the best of his ability. From what he understood, there was a new band coming together that they were going to mentor. _Another time-consuming obstacle_ , the cyan-haired vampire thought to himself. Quartet Night was going to attend their debut concert and assess them from afar before meeting them in person.

Ai was silently thankful and aggressively annoyed when Shining gave Quartet Night the names of the six singers (and the seventh that doesn’t know he will be joining them yet).

Otoya Ittoki, Tokiya Ichinose, Syo Kurusu, Natsuki Shinomiya, Cecil Aijima, Ren Jinguuji and Masato Hijirikawa.

The last two names left a sour taste in Ai’s mouth.

“They really aren’t subtle in hiding themselves.” The cyan-haired idol muttered when he returned to his room. For the past year and a half he had been there, he hadn’t realized that his clansmen were in the city with him… Whether that was his own ignorance or they had been avoiding him he wasn’t sure. Whatever the case, having to see them so often now was going to cause possible problems.

Something in the back of the cyan-haired vampire’s mind gnawed at him, told him something wasn’t right. He did not need help from his clansmen and if they were going to send him help then why weren’t they in contact with him from the beginning? Ai paced his room, puzzling over why the two vampires were there.

Silently, Ai hoped they would leave Ranmaru out of their problems, since he was assigned to them.

“Why would I be concerned about him…?” The vampire muttered to himself. He stood frozen now, question after question buzzing through his head. Yes, he cared about Ranmaru as a bandmate but he was a human. He was someone who was ignorant of the vampire conflicts and would have no obvious way of accidentally getting caught in the crossfire. The thought made Ai shiver, though he had no idea from what.

He decided to ignore it, hoping the fondness for the bassist would fade with time.

 

* * *

 

Spring has arrived after the STARISH concert the past fall and Ai has some bones to pick. Okay, a lot of bones, but he stopped counting.

The debut concert of the new idol group he and the rest of Quartet Night were going to be mentoring went smoothly to the point that Ai wondered what sort of manipulative bullshit Ren pulled to get that good at singing and dancing in so little time. Ai had the excuse of having been a previous performer and never quite being able to leave that part of him behind, Ren though? He was a murderer before he was brought to the clan. Masato seemed fittingly stiff but nonetheless capable of a grand performance for amateurs, though his skills in agility were peeking through, as was his life in a foreign circus before he was left for dead. Ai did not enjoy the details of his story, but knew it was plenty traumatizing simply recounting it.

Now though, after having been dragged into setting up a bullshit hologram machine in the foyer of the Saotome Mansion (which Shining had been using as the Master Course dorms) he stood off to the side and witnessed the new group chatter away.

Shining wanted Quartet Night to show STARISH how to be a professional group. If things had gone any other way then the three present (Camus wasn’t needed today but he couldn’t show up regardless due to having a photoshoot) would have been considerably less enthusiastic about what they were about to do.

Poison Kiss wasn’t a song they had performed live yet, but it was an interesting theme to use for the situation, considering they were essentially showing off. Ai had to admit though, seeing the genuine amazement from Ren and Masato in response to the performance was very satisfying.

Introductions were short and Ai showed his lack of interest, however Ranmaru was considerably more explosive with his lack of shits given in regards to his assigned juniors. If Ranmaru knew that Ren and Masato were vampires, Ai was certain that that exchange would have been less openly hostile. While Ai didn’t care, he wasn’t going to actively be on bad terms with Natsuki and Syo, but Syo was quite immature for someone trying to become a successful idol in this world and it was going to be difficult training him to be more responsible. Reiji took to Tokiya and Otoya gladly, already giving them nicknames.

Ai wanted desperately to call Ren and Masato out, though. He could feel their apprehension towards him, but it did not deter the boiling anger that was beginning to well up. Of course, all of that seemed to melt away when Ranmaru gave the lightest tug to his elbow, the scent that always followed the bassist making him relax, and Ai hated how easy it was for a simple human to bring him back to earth.

He would deal with those two later.

Instead, Ai found himself teasing Natsuki and Syo in the room the three were going to share. The pair, though visibly close, did not seem enjoy the thought of bunk beds.

Correction: _Syo_ didn’t seem too keen on bunk beds.

The cyan-haired idol came to learn that Natsuki was quite physically affectionate, especially towards Syo. Ai had the unfortunate honor of appearing “cute” to Natsuki, and was thus added to the list of people he would try to hug immediately on sight. This wouldn’t have been a terribly bad thing if something similar to the relaxing scent Ranmaru was covered in didn’t wash over him the first few times the large viola player embraced him.

After a while, Ai decided to ask about it. “Natsuki, what is the thing I’m always smelling around you?”

Natsuki tilted his head, “smell?” Then his eyes lit up and he fished out a small charm bottle from his pocket. “I’m surprised you can smell it, Ai-chan. It’s not that strong of a scent, but it’s supposed to keep evil spirits away. I keep it as a good luck charm.” It was innocent enough, but Ai grew curious as he inspected the tiny bottle and the herbs inside.

After feeling satisfied, he asked Natsuki to not have it around him, claiming he was mildly allergic to the plant inside of it and that it bothered him. Natsuki was too kind to not comply.

Ai made a mental note to ask Ranmaru about it, he wasn’t superstitious about those things, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally
> 
> Now shit can start hitting the fan
> 
> And maybe some blood
> 
> ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
> 
> Join me on tumblr https://bloody-ace-of-stars.tumblr.com/


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which shadows hide where the light cannot shun their attempts of humanity.
> 
> ((Alternatively: Ace tries to be poetic without giving stuff away and makes everyone but himself confused.))

Confrontations. Something Ai believed he was fairly decent at but, looking back, he realized he hated them and thusly avoided such occurrences. And yet here we are.

Ai had managed to get the attention of Ren and Masato after waiting for Ranmaru to leave their shared room, blocking the door for any exit that wouldn’t be suspicious. The two had, obviously, not quite expected such a direct way of cornering them.

Sending the pair of vampires a glare, the cyan-haired idol flashed his eyes at them. “Why the _hell_ are the two of you here. Specifically.”

He could almost see the cold sweat running down Ren and Masato’s backs as they drew up their composure in the presence of their dominant. Ren opened his mouth before Masato could, “we were sent as backup.” He said smoothly.

Ai didn’t feel convinced. “If you are backup, then how come you did not find me when I first set off? Or came _with_ me when I began this mission?”

Masato looked uncharacteristically frightened to the elder vampire while Ren simply offered a lift and fall of his shoulder in response, “our orders were to spectate. We were only to approach and assist should the matter call for it, yet you appear to have everything under control thus far.”

The cyan-haired vampire wanted to swipe the smug smile from Ren’s face. Instead, he squared his shoulders off and flashed his eyes once more. “Then stay out of my way. Though I would hope you knew I would say such a thing. I _am_ your superior in this situation.”

Tension between vampires. There was a definitive line between dominance, yet the lesser was one who stood up to most challenges. Ren never did enjoy listening to Ai, he had favored his cousin’s looser take on the hierarchy.

Masato opened his mouth, “Mikaze-san, please, spare my life mate.” Such a wanton plea. Ai almost cringed at the thought. How long had it been since he was easily cynical? What had made him drop that reaction for so long?

Ai sat on his hip, gaining a posture his cousin would favor, and looked at the pair without amusement. “Do as you please, but I will not go easy in you should you interfere.” And with that, the cyan-haired vampire turned away from his subordinates.

“It would be uncharacteristic of you if you did.” Ren said mockingly, and he knew Ai could hear it in his tone. The eldest of the three opened the door to leave, seeming to pay the blonde’s comment no mind.

Ai muttered to himself offhandedly, “going easy on you may be simply uncharacteristic, but ignoring a lesser’s challenge is unheard of.”

The cyan-haired idol did not leave his room for the rest of the evening.

 

* * *

 

Days off were rare occurrences. Days off where Ai did not feel motivated to continue his investigation were even rarer, though not unheard of.

Vampires, especially those who had lived as long as Ai had, felt no true need to rush unless situations called for it. This was one of those times.

Though he had wished to relax this day, the cyan-haired vampire found himself instead fixating his thoughts on his bandmate, the smell from Natsuki’s strange herb still faintly bothering in the air of the room. The mess it made his thoughts seemed almost addictive.

It was not the first time the smell of that herb had led Ai to thinking of Ranmaru, nor was the herb the only thing that triggered such thoughts. The bassist was clinging to him, making his heart ache for something he could not place. Simple thoughts of “this composition reminds me of…” have led him back to the tall man with an intimidating aura.

It bothered Ai.

How could he let such control of his thoughts and emotions leave him, and so easily? So simple it was for one man, one _human_ , to cause his resolve to waver in the simplest of situations.

It was more than the herb, Ai concluded, and Ranmaru may have the answer.

Days off with no investigation to distract him led to the cyan-haired idol _thinking_. When Ai began to think, he began to ask questions. And look for answers.

Now Ai was sort of stalking. Not really. He simply found that the door to the room of “team badass” was _conveniently_ left unlocked and decided to let himself int o the room for the second time that week. He sat patiently for the fifteen to twenty minutes it would take Ranmaru to return from his last job, Ren and Masato gladly being away for the next few days for coast filming.

“What the hell are you doing in my room?” Came the expectantly irritated voice, rough as usual. Ai jumped, having expected him a bit later and glancing at the clock. Nope, on time.

The cyan-haired idol straightened, noting the familiar scent and steeling himself. “I have questions, and you are most likely the one who has an answer.” He said, repeating his thoughts from before.

Ranmaru frowned, shaking off his coat, which appeared to be dripping with water. Ai could hear the sound of the droplets hitting the floor. _It must be raining_.

A sigh drew Ai back to the conversation, following his bandmate with his eyes. “And what do you expect me to tell you?” He asked, though it did not appear that Ranmaru was unwilling to listen.

Ai thought of his words, trying to be smooth with how he could ask this. Unfortunately, he’s proven to himself that he sucked at confrontation, and word choice was a part of that. “Why do you make me feel this way?” Okay, that was far too blunt, but he was already distracted by the herbs or… whatever it was.

Ranmaru gave him a look, “make you feel _what_ , exactly?”

“I am… not entirely sure.” The cyan-haired idol admitted. He tried to think of the songs they wrote for their fans, the passion, how they described emotions. “Warm, I guess? Soft? It’s distracting.”

His bandmate ran a hand through his hair, “so what, are you trying to say you have a crush on me or something?” Something shifted in Ranmaru’s tone. The words were still mostly harsh, but his voice had seemed to soften. Ranmaru had softened. It made Ai’s heart warm, just the slightest bit.

“I’ve never had a… crush before. So I couldn’t tell you.” Ai shrugged loosely, though found himself just a bit closer to where Ranmaru was sitting on the opposite end of the small couch.

Ranmaru looked at Ai’s face with only a hint of disinterest. The cyan-haired idol felt as though he was being studied, as though Ranmaru were contemplating something about him. Finally, he spoke up, “then let’s try this.”

The touch was startlingly tender, and Ai couldn’t help but freeze as his lips were captured. He had never been so close to the bassist before, and the scent of the herb was overwhelming. He could feel his control slipping again. _Maybe… I can indulge myself… just with this…_ he thought, and the cyan-haired idol let his guard fall and his eyes close, returning the pressure that Ranmaru offered him, sweet and filling.

As they finally separated, Ai let out a soft sigh, enjoying the hand against his cheek and nuzzling into the palm. Now that his guard was down and his composure loosened, he felt it so easy to smile. He felt the word he was looking for come to him, and could not stop himself from speaking.

 

“I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally they're gay.
> 
> Sorry for the short chapter. I liked that as the ending and didn't feel like adding anything else but I promise the next chapter will be longer and some things start to come to light. Too bad the actual plot shit won't come back until the chapter after next but it works as a build up.
> 
> I know what I'm doing I swear.
> 
> https://bloody-ace-of-stars.tumblr.com/ <\- My tumblr, come bug me (my ask is open this time)


End file.
